Salford celebrates a spectacular 2025 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival
- Hundreds attended the 2025 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival at Salford Quays on Sunday 25 May.
- Dragon boat races featured teams from across the country, including youth teams from Eccles Sixth Form College and Agecroft.
- Visitors enjoyed Chinese cultural performances, traditional food, and family-friendly activities throughout the day.
Salford Quays came alive on Sunday 25 May for the return of the UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival – a vibrant celebration of culture, sport and community hosted in partnership with the Xinhua Chinese Association (XCA).
This year’s festival officially launched with a special opening ceremony at Lowry Plaza, featuring performances from dragon and lion dancers and welcome speeches from key guests including His Excellency Ambassador Zheng Zeguang from the Chinese Embassy in the UK, Dr Yanzhong Xu, Chair of XCA, and Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett.
Thousands of visitors turned out to enjoy the event, which has become one of the most exciting dates in Salford’s calendar. Teams from across the country took to the water for a thrilling day of dragon boat racing, cheered on by crowds of spectators. Youth teams from Eccles Sixth Form College and Agecroft also took part in the morning’s races, with Agecroft taking first place in the youth races.
Alongside the races, visitors enjoyed a packed programme of cultural performances on the main stage, showcasing Chinese music, dance and martial arts, plus a range of traditional food stalls and family activities.
Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett said:
"It was an honour to help officially open this year’s Dragon Boat Festival in Salford. The event is a brilliant showcase of partnership, diversity and pride in our city. It's wonderful to see communities coming together – not only to race, but to share culture, celebrate achievements, and enjoy everything Salford Quays has to offer. My sincere thanks go to the organisers, volunteers and everyone who took part for making this such a memorable day."
The event was organised by the Xinhua Chinese Association, with the support of Salford City Council, the Chinese Embassy and Consulate, and a number of sponsors including Bank of China (UK) Limited, Jiangsu Yanghe Distillery, Hainan Airlines, Juneyao Air, China Taiping Insurance (UK) Co., Ltd., Phoenix RC Automotive, and Suman Group.
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